Coincidentally, a bunch of us at work were talking about the tooth fairy at lunch a couple of days ago. It was interesting to get an international perspective. Folks on my team come from all over: Netherlands, Venezuela, China, Greece, India, Hungary, Iran, and a few boring caucasian Americans like me. Most of them said their tooth fairy was like ours, or that they didn't have one at all. I thought the most interesting a the woman from Iran who said that their tooth fairy didn't leave money. Instead, she (all tooth fairies are "she", right?) left small toys. Sounds like a good option if you don't want the kids to get too into money at a young age. Of the ones who had young children (or had been children more recently than me), the consensus was $1. Most of the old farts like me said we'd gotten quarters as kids. Laura

Probably you have installed your garden untill now, but I just saw your message. Here is my proposed list of plants suitable for windy positions (w), which are very common on the cyclad islands or places with less wind ( ). Trees: Araucaria exelsa (w) Casuarina tenuissima(w) Ceratonia siliqua(w) Chorisia speciosa Eucalyptus camaldulensis(w) Ficus aystralis(w) Ficus nitida Grevillea robusta Hibiscus syriacus(w) Jacaranda mimosaefolia Koelreuteria paniculata(w) Lagerstroemia indica Melia azedarach(w) Morus alba Nerium oleander(w) Olea europaea(w) Pinus halepensis Pinus pinea(w) Punica granatum Quercus ilex(w) Parkinsonia aculeata Schinus molle Sophora japonica(w) Tamarix gallica(w) Palms: Butia capitata(w) Chamaerops excelsa(Trachycarpus)(w) Chamaerops humilis(w) Livistona australis Phoenix canariensis(w) Phoenix dactylifera (w) Whashingtonia filifera Whashingtonia robusta(w) Shrubs: Acacia constricta Atriplex canescens Atriplex hymenelytra Atriplex lentiformis Buddleia davidii Buxus sempervirens Capparis spinosa(w) Carissa grandiflora(w) Caesalpinia pulcherrima(w) Cineraria maritima(w) Cotoneaster horizontalis Cotoneaster lacteus Dodonaea viscosa Eleagnus pungens(w) Euonymus fortunei(w) Feijoa sellowiana Hibiscus rosa-sinensis Hibiscus syriacus(w) Jacobinia gheisbreghtiana Juniperus horizontalis(w) Lagerstroemia indica Lantana camara(w) Lantana sellowiana Laurus nobilis Cestrum nocturnum Ligustrum japonicum(w) Medicago arborea(w) Myoporum laetum(w) Myrtus communis Nerium oleander(w) Phillyrea angustifolia(w) Pistacia lentiscus(w) Pittosporum microphyllum(w) Pittosporum tobira 'nana'(w) Pittosporum tobira(w) Plumbago capensis Punica granatum nana Pyracantha coccinea(w) Raphiolepis delacourii(w) Raphiolepis umbellata(w) Rhamnus alaternus(w) Ruscus acuelatus Spartium junceum(w) Strelitsia reginae Teucrium fruticans Thevetia peruviana Thuja occidentalis(w) Thuja orientalis(w) Tulbaghia Veronica speciosa Viburnum tinus(w) Vitex agnus-castus(w) Yucca aloifolia(w) Yucca filamentosa(w) Yucca gloriosa(w) Yucca elata (w) Yucca schottii (w) Grevillea rosmarinifolia Polygala myrtifolia Asclepias tuberosa Convolvulus cneorum(w) Dimorfotheca calendulacea(w) Felicia pappei(w) Gazania x hybrida Mesembryanthemum(w) Pelargonium zonale(w) Pelargonium peltatum Pelargonium grandiflorum Penstemon Russelia juncea Santolina chamaecyparis(w) Aromatic plants: Aloysia citriodora Lavantula officinalis(w) Melissa officinalis Mentha piperita Origanum majorana(w) Origanum vulgare(w) Pelargonium odoratissimum(w) Rosmarinus officinalis(w) Rosmarinus horizontalis(w) Salvia officinalis(w) Thymus vulgaris(w) Vines: Bignonia (Tecomaria) capensis(w) Bougainvilea glabra Bougainvilea spectabilis Campsis (Bignonia) radicans(w) Hedera canariensis Jasminum azoricum(w) Jasminum grandiflorum Jasminum polyanthum

This development may turn out not to be as great as its looks like after the new PM appointed Boris Johnson to be the new Foreign Secretary. The Daily Mirror today: "Boris Johnson was branded a “liar” and “irresponsible” by his foreign counterparts yesterday. French and German ministers both questioned the new Foreign Secretary’s fitness to represent the UK on the world stage. Jean-Marc Ayrault, the French foreign minister, said the pro- Brexit Mr Johnson had “lied a lot” to the British people during the EU referendum campaign and was “unreliable.” “I am not at all worried about Boris Johnson, but... during the campaign he lied a lot to the British people and now it is he who has his back against the wall,” Mr Ayrault told Europe 1 radio. He added: “He has) his back against the wall to defend his country but also with his back against the wall the relationship with Europe should be clear. “I need a partner with whom I can negotiate and who is clear, credible and reliable.” Germany’s foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier also ditched diplomatic niceties to brand Mr Johnson an “irresponsible politician” who “bolted” after Brexit . “People (in the UK) are experiencing a rude awakening after irresponsible politicians first lured the country into a Brexit to then, once the decision was made, bolt and not take responsibility,”Mr Steinmeier said. “Instead they went to play cricket. To be honest, I find this outrageous but it’s not just bitter for Great Britain. It’s also bitter for the European Union.” The personal attacks could make for an awkward first meeting when Mr Johnson joins EU foreign ministers and America’s Secretary of State for dinner on Sunday night ahead of a Brussels summit on Monday. In the United States, the state department’s deputy spokesman Mark Toner failed to stifle a laugh when asked about the appointment. Sweden’s former prime minister Carl Bildt tweeted the photo of Mr Johnson caught on a zip wire above the words: “I wish it was a joke, but I fear it isn’t. Exit upon exit.” Labour’s Kevin Brennan said making Mr Johnson Foreign Secretary was “the strangest move since Caligula appointed his horse a senator.” Mr Johnson has made a series of gaffes and has a history of insulting foreigners. The UK’s representative on the world stage will now be the pro- Brexit former mayor of London who smeared Barack Obama for having a “part Kenyan” heritage and once referred to black people as “piccaninnies” with “watermelon smiles.” Mr Johnson has also described Hillary Clinton as a “sadistic nurse in a mental hospital” and her rival for the US presidency Donald Trump as “stupefyingly ignorant.” Last November he was forced to cut short a visit to Palestinian Authority territory after a Palestinian group took offence at his strong support for Israel. Mr Johnson wrote about black people as “flag-waving piccaninnies” with “watermelon smiles” in a 2002 column for the Daily Telegraph. He apologised six years later for the racial slurs which he used to mock Tony Blair ’s travels across the globe. He wrote: “What a relief it must be for Blair to get out of England. It is said that the Queen has come to love the Commonwealth, partly because it supplies her with regular cheering crowds of flag-waving piccaninnies”. In another passage he added: “They say he is shortly off to the Congo. No doubt the AK47s will fall silent, and the pangas will stop their hacking of human flesh, and the tribal warriors will all break out in watermelon smiles to see the big white chief touch down in his big white British taxpayer-funded bird.”

Mariannese, No I'm not particularly bothered, especially because of the prevailing northerly winds and because I am sort of perpendicular off the landing-take off line. If the winds come from the west or in a still night I can hear the jet engines during take off but, still, it is not really a nuisance more a reminder that the airport is there. Sitting on my balcony though, I can see the lights of aircraft approaching. Marlorena, Yes, there are vineyards, large vegetable plots, fig and pistachio cultivations there. There are also ancient ruins, most importantly the Temple of Artemis of Vravron. There's also a wetland nature reserve with bird wildlife which you can see at the upper left of the picture (the shallow bay). http://www.athenskey.com/vravrona.html